TNAG-2638-FCO40-3830-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1992 — Page 25

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

18 November 1992

香港立法局

一九九二年十一月十八日

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I sympathize with the non-Chinese minorities in their fear of having nowhere to go, in the event that they are forced to leave. Here the matter is in the hands of our sovereign state. It borders on hypocrisy that Britain created classes of "British" citizenships which are "British" by name only.

Not just for the ethnic minorities. I think it right that a country that reaps benefits from a colonized territory should do the honourable thing of granting full citizenship to all the residents of that territory, who want it.

Mr Howard YOUNG just now said that it is impractical to ask for British citizenship for all Hong Kong citizens. Whether it is impractical or otherwise, it is a right for Members of this Council representing the people of Hong Kong to do likewise.

Mr ARCULLI's amendment, no doubt, seeks to achieve one channel to allay the fears of the ethnic minorities and it may well be an aspect that most members of the ethnic minorities would be eager to accept. I personally fully accept this principle. Yet, the pathway is a very narrow one, such that should we fail to push the United Kingdom Government to do likewise it would give us a contingency. Furthermore, granting of admission to the United Kingdom after 1997 does not impart nationality nor does it allay the worry of the ethnic minorities before 1997.

Mr MCGREGOR's initial motion, however, does not rule out the concept put forward by Mr ARCULLI, yet provides flexibility With these remarks, Mr Deputy President, I and members of Meeting Point support Mr McGREGOR's motion and oppose Mr ARCULLI's amendment.

詹培忠議員致辭:

副主席先生,首先我要向在上面公眾席聽這次辯論的外籍人士致意,我的致辭或發言並非 針對他們。

麥理覺議員的動議談到關於非華裔居民可能在一九九七年以後變成無國籍居民。大家了 解現時香港已經有250萬人是無國籍的,包括我自己在内。剛才楊孝華議員所講的,我 已全部聽到。為何我們250萬人被人看不起?我感謝在座許多議員曾經發言代表本地外 籍人士講說話,但為何我聽不到有人代表250萬現在已經無國籍的香港華籍人士發言? 我曾持着CI經過美國、澳洲的移民局,在有關表格上「國籍」一欄填上"Chinese",被移 民局人員劃去,改填 "Stateless" (無國籍)。當時我一陣陣心痛。這代表什麼呢?我回想 到,我袋中有許多錢,故此,鼓勵我們不可小覷自己!